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§8205
Duties
(a) It is the duty of a notary public, when requested:
(1) To demand
acceptance and payment of foreign and inland bills of exchange, or promissory notes,
to protest them for nonacceptance and nonpayment, and,with regard only to the nonacceptance
or nonpayment of bills and notes, to exercise any other powers and duties that by
the law of nations and according to commercial usages, or by the laws of any other
state, government, or country, may be performed by notaries.
(2) To take the acknowledgment
or proof of powers of attorney, mortgages, deeds, grants, transfers, and other instruments
of writing executed by any person, and to give a certificate of that proof or acknowledgment,
endorsed on or attached to the instrument. The certificate shall be signed by the
notary in the notary's public's own handwriting. A notary public may not accept
any acknowledgment or proof of any instrument that is incomplete.
(3) To take
depositions and affidavits and administer oaths and affirmations, in all matters
incident to the duties of the office, or to be used before any court, judge, officer,
or board. Any deposition, affidavit, oath or affirmation shall be signed by the notary
public in the notary public's own handwriting.
(4) To certify copies of powers
of attorney under Section 4307 of the Probate Code. The certification shall be signed
by the notary public in the notary public's own handwritting.
(b) It shall
further be the duty of a notary public, upon written request:
(1) To furnish to
the Secretary of State certified copies of the notary's journal.
(2).To respond
within 30 days of receiving written requests sent by certified mail from the Secretary
of States's office for information relating to official acts performed by the notary.
(Gov. Code)